Forever And A Day
by Fatouma
Summary: One-shot. AU, somewhat. - A few days before he meets his fate at Frostgate, Prince Rurik of Ascalon finally gets all the love he deserves. PWP, but heavy on the romantic side and quite fluffy. Rated for a reason. Reviews welcome, no flames please.


**Disclaimer:** Guild Wars is property of Arena-Net. No infringement is meant upon this copyright.

**WARNING!** Contains VERY explicit scenes, so do NOT read if you are underage or easily offended. PWP, but on the fluffy side. Rated R for a reason.

THANKS to Katy, best of all possible sisters, for her invaluable help and support! Kisses to you!

One-shot, taken from a longer fanfic I am writing in German. If you review, please be gentle - this is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language.

A/N: This is an excerpt of the diaries of Tari Calenardhon, a young ranger from Ascalon who has fallen in love with Prince Rurik of Ascalon already before The Searing. Now, more than two years later, she has just discovered that his feelings for her are the same, only a few days before he will meet his fate at Frostgate.

I have always been very fond of Prince Rurik because of his passion, his courage and his determination, and - yeah, because he's sexy as hell if you ask me. I always thought he deserves a little love before his untimely demise, so, let Tari tell you what he gets when they enjoy the first opportunity to spend some time alone together after reaching Yak's Bend on their way down to Kryta.

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**Forever And A Day**

"I have to leave again early tomorrow morning, Tari", Rurik says softly while gently stroking the pulse point at the inside of my wrist.

I rise my brow in surprise. "So soon... what are you up to?"

"I have to meet Jalis Ironhammer, king of the Deldrimor-Dwarves, to negotiate our passage over the mountains to Kryta."

I take a deep breath and look up at him. "Take me with you."

He shakes his head resolutely. "No, Tari. You're still too weak for a mission such as this."

"Weak?! I am absolutely okay and not at all...", I begin heatedly, but he interrupts me, shoots a searing gaze upon me from under his dark eyebrows.

"No. It was only yesterday when you have been rather dead than alive. The journey to Kryta will be stressful enough for you when you go with the trek of refugees in a few days. Until then, you will stay here and recover."

So, will I? Weak...! I boil with rage. "Is this your last word?"

"My very last."

I don't even try to suppress an infuriated growl, draw back my hand and step back from him, but he closes the gap between us instantly, pulls me into his arms and buries his hands in my mane, caresses the back of my head and neck.

"I will not be gone for long. I shall be back in three days at most, if all goes well."

"Three days", I whisper. These will be the longest three days of my life, and all the more if I am exptected to sit around here doing nothing. In vain I try to keep down the tears that summon in the corners of my eyes without my consent. Why for the love of all gods do I always burst into tears so easily as of late?

Rurik lifts up my face, gently kisses my tears away.

"I have to go now, Tari", he says softly. "Except... except if you want me to stay. It is your decision."

I open my eyes, return his gaze. His amber eyes are dark with emotions, and suddenly he looks very vulnerable. Sweet Melandru, he fears I could reject him... My blood sings in my ears, my heartbeat thunders through my body. I lift my hand, with trembling fingers I brush away a bronze coloured strand of hair that has fallen over his brow. My throat is so tight I cannot speak.

"Your decision, Tari", he repeats in a hoarse voice. "If you prefer to wait some more time..." He breaks off, holds my gaze searchingly.

"I have been waiting for over two years now", I finally manage to whisper. "I think that is long enough... do not leave me alone tonight."

"Are you sure?" His fingertips gently follow the line of my eyebrows, and I feel his heart is racing just as fast as my own.

"Absolutely", I answer softly and smile.

"Tari...", he whispers and pulls me into an embrace so strong that I hear my ribs crackle. I wrap my arms around his waist and press my lips against the soft skin of his neck. My hands gently glide over his back, feel his hard muscles ripple under the fine fabric of his tunic. Knowing what will happen tonight makes me tremble with anticipation, my legs feel like jelly and I can barely control the shaking of my knees. This must be a dream... because dreams come true only in dreams, don't they? Time ceases to exist while I listen to the fast beat of our hearts. Out of some far away corner of my consciousness I hear the faint howling of the wind outside, the soft sizzle of the brazier in the corner and the deep purr of Chili, my Melandru's Stalker, contently sleeping in a corner by the brazier, tightly curled up into a surprisingly small ball of fur.

"You are trembling... are you still feeling cold?", he asks softly.

"A little.... and a bit nervous, that's all."

He lifts my face, brushes his lips over my brow, softly kisses my closed eyelids while his warm hands slowly travel up my back. His short beard tingles on my skin.

"Tari...", he looks down at me, searching my face, "is it the first time you are being with a man? I never really thought about it, but..."

"I hope it won't disappoint you, but no", I interrupt him in a whisper, "it's not. But it is the first time with you... that's why."

He smiles down at me, his eyes warm with tenderness. "I'm not disappointed. I wouldn't have expected it elsewise. You are much too beautiful for being overlooked by all other men before you met me." One hand drifts up and gently feathers against my neck, then he lets me go, suddenly leaving me cold without the warmth of his body. "Stay here, Tari. I'll get something for you. Don't go away." He turns and leaves the room, closes the door behind him silently.

I walk over to the small window and stare outside into the snowflakes that swirl around in the driving, howling wind against a pitch-black sky. Despite the heat emanating from the brazier, I feel cold again and wrap my arms around myself, shivering slightly. Beautiful… me? Nobody has ever called me such. My long, dark red hair is a tangled mass more often than not and resists every attempt to force it into something one could call a hairdo, my nose is too flat and seemingly I'm too thin as well - Orion always calls me a "skinny little cat". I smile to myself, shake my mane and run through it with my fingers while I begin to nervously pace up and down the room.

The minutes stretch endlessly before Rurik returns. He closes the door behind him and hands me a heavy brass goblet. Sweet steam rises from it. The metal is so hot I can barely hold it.

"Try this, Tari", he says softly. He stands beside me so close that our bodies touch. He brushes my hair aside gently and bends down to kiss my neck.

I take a tentative sip. Hot, spiced sweet wine runs down my throat like honey and makes me instantly feel warm and slightly dizzy.

"This is strong stuff... but you surely don't plan to make me drunk lest I run away screaming?" I look up at him and smirk.

"Gods, no - honestly, I do not think I'm that bad", he replies with a grin. "I just want you to warm up and relax a bit."

I take another sip – this is really good, I could get used to it – before handing the goblet back to him. He drinks some of the wine himself, then puts the goblet down on the low table and takes me in his arms again.

"There is no need to rush this, Tari. The night is still young, many hours lie ahead of us." He takes up a long strand of my hair, lets it run through his fingers, touches it with his lips. "I want this to be the most perfect thing both of us have ever experienced, a celebration of our love."

I look up at him, returning his gaze in wonder.

"Love?", I whisper. My heart starts beating frantically. I had hoped it, but…

"I love you, Tari… I thought you knew that by now", he replies in a low voice. Gently he caresses my neck, his eyes, dark with feelings, never leaving mine. "I thought you could feel it… and I thought you feel the same for me." His gaze holds mine, searchingly, clearly waiting for an answer.

I can hardly breathe, let alone speak, my voice is rejecting to obey my will. After several vain efforts I manage to whisper, "Yes… I do love you, Rurik… I have been loving you since I first laid my eyes upon you on that sunny autumn day in Ascalon so long ago…" My voice fades, and I look up at him helplessly. Never before have I uttered such words to any man. And never before would they have been so true.

His smile widens, he pulls me closer, bends his head down, and then, finally, his warm, full mouth is upon mine. Slowly, seductively, the tip of his tongue brushes along my upper lip, then the bottom one, seeking entrance gently but insistently. I open up for him, my body flares with aching longing when our tongues meet and start to move around each other in a slow, sensuous dance. A soft, high-pitched whimper escapes me when all of a sudden he pushes his tongue deep into my mouth, exploring my palate, the inside of my cheeks. Nobody has ever dared to kiss me like that before - but oh, this is so good... After minutes that seem like eons and are yet gone too fast, I have to part with his mouth simply for the need to catch breath. His lips trail down my cheeks, caressing the column of my throat while his fingers unfasten the clasps of my armor.

"I want you out of this, Tari", he mumbles as he moves his hands between my harness of fur lined Charr leather and the thin, short shift I wear beneath it.

"I regretted very much that I couldn't be present when you put it on for the first time this forenoon, so the least thing I can do now is helping you take it off", he smiles.

I lift my arms and let him pull the smooth, supple leather over my head, I hear it fall down to the floor with a soft tinkle of the metal clasps.

"That was your own fault", I chuckle softly. "Why didn't you wake me when you were sitting beside my bed early this morning, instead of watching me in my sleep for hours?"

"Because you needed your sleep to heal your wounds, my love. I am not that selfish to wake you just for my own pleasure. Besides, you were a beautiful sight... and you talk in your sleep, did you know?" He smiles down at me tenderly. Oh that dizzying smile...

"Yes, I know... Alesia mentioned it once..." I blush. "I hope I haven't said anything... compromising."

"Don't worry", he kisses me lightly, "most of it I couldn't understand. But some of the words I caught... you said my name… and sweet things about your feelings for me. I liked that very much."

I blush even deeper, lower my head and let my mane fall over my face. "So you had an advantage of several hours over me, didn't you." I look up from beneath my hair fringes to meet his eyes. "You already knew when you made me confess my feelings a few minutes ago."

"Yes, I knew", he smiles, gently brushing long strands of hair out of my face. "But I wanted to hear you say it while you're conscious and not caught in feverish dreams. Can you blame me for that?"

"No", I whisper with a smile, "not really."

I lean into his embrace while his warm hands glide under my thin shirt, gently caressing the bare skin of my back. His fingers feather along the line of my blade bones and my spine, making me arch my back against him. How can the hands of a warrior, calloused and roughened by many years of wielding the sword, have a touch so soft? Oh, this feels so good... My fingers run over his chest, I place one hand lightly upon his heart, feel it beating fast and steady. He brings forward his hands to slowly drift over my stomach, moving further up gently until he cups my breasts, very softly massaging the yielding flesh. My eyes fall shut, the sensation of his touch makes me ache with longing. I let my hands wander over his broad shoulders and down his arms, then return to his chest. Under my fingertips I feel the heat of his body searing through the fabric of his tunic. I gasp as he gingerly brushes his thumbs over my nipples, circling around them gently until they stand hard and erect. From somewhere far away I hear myself moan softly.

He shifts up the thin fabric of my shirt, wordlessly asking me to lift my arms so he can pull it off over my head. Now I stand before him half naked, I close my eyes for a second as my heartbeat fastens, and I feel myself blushing deeply. His fingers wander across my collarbones back down to my breasts, his eyes caressing my body.

"You are so very beautiful", he whispers hoarsely.

"So you like what you see?", I ask with a shy smile.

"Apparently", he smiles, pulls me into his arms and presses me to his body to let me feel the swelling length of his rock hard arousal against the yielding flesh of my belly. "See?"

This evidence of the effect I have on him makes my body throb with anticipation. I give a soft moan of longing, feel my blood rushing down to that certain spot and I know I am already dripping wet there. Sweet Melandru, I love him so… and I want him so much...

My hands slide under his tunic, admiringly travelling across the raised muscles of his back, feeling his bare skin under my fingertips for the first time.

"Again you have an advantage over me", I whisper with a grin, "do you think you could take this off?"

He smiles and pulls the tunic over his head with a tantalizingly slow, smooth movement. As he stands there before me, all his male gorgeousness now exposed to my eyes, I look at him in awe. He simply takes my breath away. He is not as heavily built as most warriors are, his frame is lighter though still powerful. All those years of fighting and battling have carved his body into perfection. Sculpted muscles ripple under smooth skin, like steel under silk. The dim orange light of the brazier adds a deep golden glow to his skin. As if they have a will of their own, my hands begin to caress his broad, tautly muscled chest, graze over the light sprinkle of bronze coloured hair and travel down to his navel, marveling at the smoothness of his skin.

"So you like what you see?" He smiles down at me softly.

"I have never seen anything more beautiful", I breathe.

He pulls me in his arms again, the sensation of feeling his warm, bare skin against mine is almost more than I can stand. It must have a similar effect on him as I hear a deep, low groan rumble in his throat, almost like the purr of a big cat. One hand in my hair, the other around my waist he presses me tightly against him and draws me into another searing kiss, now barely reining in his passion. He reaches down between our bodies to unfasten the ties of my leggings. When he loosened them enough, he slips both hands inside to caress my buttocks, thereby pushing the soft leather down along my thighs.

"Would you mind taking these off, Tari?", he asks in a low, hoarse whisper. I can't speak, my voice fails me,so I simply nod. I unfasten my boots and kick them off, then step out of my leggings as they reach the ground. As he draws me close again I search his eyes, his gaze is hazy with longing and need. I reach up to run my hands through his thick, bronze coloured hair, gently following the line of his ears to his neck, gingerly resting my finger on his pulse point, feeling his blood rush through his veins beneath the thin, sensitive skin. I taste the warm, taut flesh of his chest with my lips, lightly kissing a soft trail down to his nipple. I let my tongue circle around it until it hardens into a tiny pearl. I enjoy his taste, faintly of salt and of himself. I hear him draw his breath in a sharp hiss, followed by a hoarse groan, and I smile while my tongue keeps on stroking him gently.

His knee gently nudges my thighs apart to allow him to pull me even closer. His long, well muscled thigh presses against my most sensitive parts, resulting in a low moan of pleasure emerging from my throat. I feel him growing even harder against my body. Then he lifts me up in his arms, engages my lips in another deep kiss and carries me over to the narrow bed. After laying me down gently, he lowers his body next to me, his skin against mine. This feels so good... I am glad to lie down now as my knees wouldn't have held me upright much longer. He props himself up on one elbow, holding my gaze with his own, while his hand moves softly over my body, gently researching, exploring. Oh those eyes of him... I could lose myself in them. All those feelings for me I read in them… this is so much more than I could ever have hoped for, it simply overwhelms me. I love him so much that it hurts... I nestle up against him, holding him as tight as I can, my face buried against his neck, and try to choke back the tears burning in my throat for all this bliss I cannot believe shall be mine.

As soon as I have regained control over myself, I turn my head to him and kiss him deeply while pressing my hands lightly against his shoulders, gently willing him down on his back. I let my lips wander over his neck and his collarbones down to his chest. He buries his hands in my hair as I gingerly stroke one nipple with my fingertips and circle my tongue around the other one. I gently blow upon the soft, wet skin and he jerks, hoarsely groaning with pleasure at the unexpected sensation. I sit up, toss my mane down over my head, then bend down again to let my hair glide over his skin, up and down his torso, then letting it follow the mellow trail my kisses lead down to his navel. I dip the tip of my tongue into it, circle around it lightly and he rewards me with another low groan, his hands clasping in my hair again. My fingers travel along the narrow line of dark hair that descends from his navel down into the waistband of his tight leggings of supple black leather, my eyes following curiously, irresistibly drawn to the impressive bulge of his erection. I want to see him... I want to touch him... My hand slowly glides down to cup him lightly first, then rubbing gently. He draws a sharp, hissing breath and jerks against my hand. At the touch of his hardness, my own arousal becomes almost unbearable.

With quivering fingers I try to unfasten the ties of his leggings, but I fail, I tremble too much.

"Help me", I whisper, looking up at him. With a smile, he reaches down and fights with the lacing until he finally manages to loosen it enough to peel away the leather from his pale golden skin. He pushes it down along his long, tautly muscled legs to finally lie before me free from all confines. I cannot take my eyes from him. He is marvellous... Gently I touch him, amazed at his sheer size. I enfold him in my hand, softly spreading the slick, silky liquid emerging from the tip with my thumb. He moans lowly, his breathing shortens and his hands grasp my shoulders tightly as my fingers close around him and begin to slowly stroke up and down his length.

I bend down to let tiny kisses travel across the taut muscles of his flat stomach while I continue to stroke him gently. Just before my lips can taste him, he grabs me firmly under my arms and pulls me up to his chest, pressing my head against his heart. I hear it beating frantically.

"Stop… stop, Tari", he gasps under his breath.

"You do not like that?" I let him go and look up into his eyes, feeling confused.

"I like it too much", he replies with a wry smile. "I will not hold out long if you tease me so."

I smile and lie still, my head resting against his shoulder, my fingers softly stroking the muscles of his chest, relishing the heat of his skin, feeling the tension that vibrates through him.

He rolls me on my back and kisses me fervently, pinning me down with his weight. His tongue dances around mine as his hand feathers against my neck and collarbone, then travels down to cup my breast, soft fingertips brush over my nipple. He lowers his head to follow the trail of his fingers with his lips, closing them around my nipple, sucking it gingerly, circling his tongue around it. I feel him against my hip, hard like iron, and I jerk against him, tossing back my head as I moan softly with pleasure. This is so good... nobody has ever made me feel like that. Gods... I love him so... I still can't believe that I am really here with him, so close together, that this bliss is not just a dream.

His hand glides deeper slowly, drifting in warm, soft circles over my stomach down to my hips until his fingers graze gingerly through my curls, and I hear myself gasp. He captures my mouth in another searing kiss while his hand travels up my thighs, gently nudging them apart, wordlessly asking me to open up for him. Trembling with longing, my fingers clenching his shoulder muscles, I comply and let his soft touch caress the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, gliding down tantalizingly slow. Sweet Melandru... if he touches me there... the mere anticipation lets my back arch, jerking me against him. I fasten my mouth on his shoulder to stifle a cry as his fingers finally reach their goal and softly part my hot, wet folds, gingerly exploring until he finds that tiny, delicate bud of nerve endings and grazes his fingertips over it teasingly. I let out a high-pitched whimper and press myself against his body, holding him tightly around the shoulders, clinging on to him for dear life. Slowly, oh so slowly he lets the feathery teasing intensify into gentle, soft strokes, making me squirm against him. Soon I feel a spiral of hot-white pleasure twisting up inside me until wave after wave of bliss rushes through my body. I hear myself whimper his name and bite hard into the warm, taut flesh of his shoulder. All things around me fade into oblivion. When the waves of joy finally ebb away, I nestle up against him closely, my breath panting, my body still trembling and twitching in the aftermath of the climax.

He kisses me lightly and smiles down at me, tenderly stroking my hair. My eyes lock with his, his gaze is warm and dark with his love for me.

"You are fast", he smiles.

"That is because of you... the next one we should enjoy together", I whisper and smile.

He settles smoothly between my legs, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You are so frail, Tari... I will be careful. I would never hurt you. Are you ready, my love?"

"Yes", I whisper and let my hands run through his hair, shivering with anticipation.

Skin against skin, heart against heart he moves on top of me, propped up on his elbows lest he crushes me with his weight, his hands in my hair. He bends his head down to kiss me, his tongue brushes over my lips, enters my mouth to caress my own in a mesmerizing rhythm while I open up my thighs widely for him. The tightly bunched muscles of his arms and shoulders tell of the effort it costs him to rein in his passion, to not simply give way to the fire I can feel burning in him. Gently, slowly he pushes inside me, inch by inch, giving me time to adjust to his size and length, until he fills me completely and slowly picks up pace. The feel of his skin upon mine, the feel of his hardness stroking my most secret parts so gently and yet so powerful sends shivers of joy through my body, and I gasp with pleasure. Gods, I love him so…

Nothing, nothing in the world compares to the sensation of feeling the one you love join with your body for the very first time. This is what I have been secretly longing for since more than two years, to love him, to surrender my heart, my soul and my body to him without retention, to give him everything I have. I wish I could freeze this moment in time, to stay like this forever, with him moving deep inside me, as close as we ever can get, our bodies molten into one, his need and his love for me pouring out of him. For the first time in my life I feel complete.

I wrap his body with my thighs, driving him even deeper inside me. I move with him in unison, let my hands glide over the rippling muscles of his shoulders and his back, now covered in a fine, silky film of sweat. He props himself up so that his powerful body is towering above me. He quickens the pace a little, gazes down at me, softly whispering my name, his eyes searching mine. So beautiful he is with his hair falling down over his brow… I close around him firmly with my inner muscles, let him go, grab him again. He gasps, his thrusts become faster, deeper, harder. Hard enough to almost hurt me when finally he unleashes all his fervour he has held in rein so long, hard enough to make me whimper with both pain and pleasure. I clench my hands in his back, pull him down to me, longing to feel his skin rub against mine again. His breath comes in short gasps now, searingly hot against my neck. As he pushes deep inside me with long, hard thrusts, I feel pleasure piling up again, my eyes fall closed, I can't hold it back and I don't want to. Matching his hard movements, my climax washes over me like a torrent of ecstasy. I moan, I whimper, I cry out his name until I silence myself by fastening my teeth into his shoulder. Never before have I heard such sounds emerging from my throat. Spasms run through my core, grab him tightly. I feel him growing even harder, even larger. His movements become erratic, and with a few last hard thrusts his own release rushes through him. His body shudders with pleasure, he groans against my neck until he collapses upon me, lying motionless, just his heart beating wildly.

Still panting and trembling, I stroke his back, kiss his neck. He lifts his head to rain soft tiny kisses across my face, lingering at my mouth, sucking my bottom lip gently.

"Tari…", he whispers hoarsely, his eyes locking with mine. "I love you so."

"And I love you", I breathe, smiling.

"I've got carried away… I'm sorry if I was rough. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"No… yes, maybe a little." My smile widens, I let my fingertips graze over his eyebrows as he looks down on me worriedly. "You were wonderful. But now", I shift uncomfortably under his weight, "I'm afraid you're crushing me."

He cradles me in his arms and deftly rolls over on his back with me on top of him, his flesh still deep inside me.

His fingers glide down my spine gently, making me twitch. I hear him chuckle softly, then he tightly wraps his arms around me.

I let my head rest on his chest, my hands gingerly stroking across his muscles until they find the line of a broad pale scar I didn't notice before. It spans from his collar bone across his chest down to his ribs. My fingertips follow it down and up again. I don't even dare to imagine what a terrible injury this must have been.

"Who did this to you?" I ask in a low voice.

"That scar? A Charr warrior, ten years ago. He slashed me open with his axe right through my armor when I was just about to cut him down. It was pretty bad, I nearly died that time… Brother Grazden saved my life back then, it took him all his skill."

I bite my bottom lip as my heart clenches, I hate the thought of him being hurt and in pain.

"Promise that you'll never let this happen again", I whisper. "Promise you'll be careful. I could not stand to lose you." I feel tears welling up, all these emotions finally unleashed tonight have left my heart raw and vulnerable.

He pulls me up so that we come to lie face to face. With a pang of regret I feel him glide out of me, a gush of velvety warmth spreading down between my thighs. Suddenly I feel cold.

He senses my distress and embraces me tightly, gently stroking my hair.

"Do not worry. It was my own fault back then, my guard was down. It will not happen again."

I close my eyes as the unbidden tears summon in the corners of my eyes and trickle down slowly. Suddenly reality has recaptured me, ripped me out of this dream. The reality that is the war outside, the dangerous journey over the Shiverpeak Mountains that lies ahead of us. The reality that says the line between life and death is as thin as the blade of a sword in the enemy's hands.

He rolls me on my back, softly cradles my face in his warm hands and kisses my tears away gently.

"You will never lose me, Tari. If you want to get rid of me, you'll have to send me away from you."

"I will never do that, and you know it", I whisper. More tears come. Oh darn.

"Look at me", he says gently.

I slowly open my eyes to meet his gaze while he gently strokes my face with his fingertips. His eyes are so unbelievably soft, so full of his love for me.

"I pledge my life to you, Tari, my heart and my soul", he says in a low, solemn voice. "Will you stay by my side? Forever?"

I am so moved I cannot speak. I cannot even smile. I move my hand up to gingerly brush away a strand of hair that has fallen over his brow while he still holds my gaze with his, not letting me go. Gods, I love him so...

"Will you not answer me, Tari?", he asks softly while his fingertips gently follow the line of my eyebrows, then brush over my lips tenderly. I feel tension growing in him while he waits for me to reply.

"Forever and a day", I whisper under my breath, as my voice, thick with tears, fails me.

I feel his body relax again. "That is all I need to know", he smiles and kisses me into oblivion.


End file.
